Signal device



Patented Aug. 14, 1928.`

SAMUEL JAMES CREW, OF YARRAVILLE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

SIGNAL DEVICE.

Application led. May 6, 1926, vSerial No.

This invention relates to an identification device or sign which is adapted for clear visibility by daylight or in darknessl and is specially applicable for use in displaying the identification numbers of automobiles. The invention may, however, also be employed for advertising and' various other purposes where itis desired to clearly display `a luminous sign by night and a correspending sign by day without artificial illumination and without any alteration or manipulation of the device.

According to the invention an illuminating mediumI such as an electric lampis enclosed within a box or housing which is provided with means for reflecting the artificial light through a specially constructed front sign plate which is adapted to permit of the passage of the reflected artificial light therethrough by night or in darkness and also clearly'exhibits the desired number or other sign in daylight without the aid of artificial illumination.

Referring to the drawings y which form' part of vthis specification y Figure 1 isV a front elevation showing a constructional form ofthe invention suitable for exhibiting a combined tail light and luminous number plate for automobiles. Figure 2 is a contracted sectional plan, on an enlarged scale, of a device as seen in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line IH III in Figure 2. Y

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 1V IV in Figure 2. Y y

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view, in sectional plan, of a modification.

FigureG is a rear view, of a sign unit o1' section, a series of which may be used to Y make up the required sign.

. Figure 7 is a section on the line VH V11 in Figure 6. i Y

Figure 8 is a broken perspective view of a pair of said sign units or sections looked at from the front, and illustrates a mode of assembling and connecting the sections.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary rea-r View showing a pair of sign sections secured together in assembled position.

L The invention includes a light box or housing 2 which may be constructed Aof sheet metal or other suitable .material and is preferably of an elongated rectangular shape. At one end of this box or housing is alamp chamber 3, which may be formed 107,242, and in Australia June 23, 1925.

by acasing or holder 4, and accommodates an illuminating medium such as an electric lamp 6 arranged to project the light sidewardly towards the opposite end of the elongated box or housing' 2. A socket 7 provided with terminal pins 8 may be attached to theVV holder 4, to form a mounting for the lamp 6 and to supply current thereto. reliector 9 may surround the lamp.

The lamp casing or holder 4 is preferably hingedly or detachably attached to the adjacent end of said housing 2 so as to provide for easy access to the lamp. 'As seen in Figures l, 2 and 4 the lamp holder 4 may ie mounted to swing about a'hinge pin 1l suitably carried by the light box or housing adjacent its open end. The lamp holder is fastened when in a closed position by a suitable catch, which may comprise a nut 12 working on a screw 13 which outstands from the housing and can enter an open mouthed slot 14 formed in an appropriate portion of the lamp holder. i

Mounted in the opposite end of the elongated box or housing 2, that is, the end thereof remote from the lamp 6, is a mirror or other suitable reflector 16 which is preferably inclined as shown and is adapted to throw back the light rays so that they are distributed throughout the length of the housing 2 and will uniformly illuminate an identification or sign plate 17 which is preferably removably mounted at the front of the housing 2, as hereinafter described, and is visible through an openng 18 formed in the front 19 of said housing. The reiiector 16 may be retained in position against the end of the housing 2 by a suitablestopor stops 21.

The back 26 of the elongated housing is preferably inclined forwardly from the lamp end towardsthe reflector end of the housing 2, the inner or front surface 27 of the inclined back bein-g preferably painted white or similarly treated so that the light rays thrown thereon by the lamp 6 and the reliector 16 are more effectively emitted through the identification or sign plate 17 the construction of which is herenaftcr de scribed. lf desired a. removable inclined .back 26 may be placed within the rear Vof the light box or housingso that it may be withdrawn for 11e-painting or other purposes.

The said identification or sign plate 17 is also preferably of an elongated rectangular assente `night 'or in darkness.

shape according to the size and shape of the front of the housing 2, and, as seen in Fignature. Portions-of.thiswsheet metal or other plate 17, corresponding to the numerals or other characters to be displayed, are cut out or removed from the pla-te' leaving corre` sponding apertures'QS therethrough after usual ties or bridge,poi-'tions'. TheeliininaA tiony ofsuc'h ties isfpermitted by the use of a*perfoiratedy iiietalbacking material 29 to,`

which paitsl ofthe stencil-like signplate 17`siiiioi'inded by the" apertures QSinay be secured by yrivets'or the like, Vthus'leaving Y u l l ,l unobstructed apertures in front of the baci;- ing inateiialfQS. v The parts 31 forfdisposal Within the ,apertures 2S of the signplateE 17 niay,if desired, have tongues or extensions (see'Figure'sG and 7) adapted to pass through slits in the backingmaterial 29 and to be lpressed backivai'dly against tlie'reail` surface of said backing material whereby suchpai'ts 31 rare retained in position With-` out. rivetsor the like.

rllhe backing material 29 is suitably attached to the rear surface ofthe plate 17 so astio vextend behind the apertures 28 thereof, said backing material being'of` such a nature as to freely pass tlieartificial light rays from the interior of the housing 2 ivhen the device is'iised' at night and also tov clearly show the numerals or characters ythrough saidaper-` tures 'QS' by ,daylightA Without Athe aid of artificial i'llumiiiatioiil` Preferably the vbacking ii'iaterial Y2S* 4consist of a slieet'of metal having "relatively smallvand closely, spaced perforatio'iisl.therethrough such sheet being painted oi" coated .White or other suitable;

color -onits frontsface soth'at the'partsof thel backing material showing through ,the apertures 28 infthe front. plate 17, formV distinctly visible identification characters Whenviewed in daylight, `the perforations of t ie backing material being adapted to clearly emit the artificial light from the interior of the housing 2 when the device is used at The yapertuied"sigh plate 17 may consist of a single sheet or strip of metal Wi'th'the' backing Q'Qfsuitably secured to the rear face tlieieofjsoas to extend across the openings 28 therein, or, if desired, the sign plate and backing"materialmay comprise a series ofl sections 17a "and '29a (see- Figures 6 to 9)V Vadapted to be fslidably engaged with each other` and accommodated. atthe front of they housing 2. y Eachsigii plate'section 17 may have inturned vertical edge portions .or lips 33 engageable with corresponding edge .portioiis of jthe other sign plate sections in order to form suitablelapped joints," as

shown in Figures S andi), whereby a plural-4 ity' ofthe sectionsv 17a`-may be assembled in any lrequired foriiiatioiior sequence. The individual numerals or charactersmof a' sign or the like may thus be readily interchanged so that any 3desired combination of numerals or characters may be assembled Without the necessity of cutting 'a new sign plate 17. 1When the device is used for displaying the :identification iiuniberof an Vauteiiiobile it p bei desirable to prevent, Ior to render the manner of a stencil plate but vWithout the diilieult, thechanging ofthe'assembled -sections'17,-as la' deterrent against= fraduleiit, or unauthorized changing (if thefnuinberiflor thisupurpose each section 17L maylbeypro-f vided, l preferably adjacent Vitsl corners, with f such Wires the signplate I sections lmay beg secured together by 'crimping or flattening the intui'ned lips 33 of the intereiigaged seo" tions. 1

The upper andlower edge portions 3G of each sectionl'EL may be bent around :and bacltivai'dly against the'corresponding back-` inginaterial section 29a whereby thelatter will besecurelyheldin proper position.

The apertured sign 'plate With'its backing material is preferably bodily Iremovablefrom the front ofthelight boxer housing 2 and for this purpose,guideWays-BTare preferably formed at the front ofthe housing along the top andvbottom'tliereof,` one end of these guidevvays being open topermit 'of tlielinsertion and removal of thefapertured sign plate and its backing material A handle 3S may also be providedv at oneend of the'vsign plate to `facilitate its insertion and removal as above mentioned,

rlhe 'outeror front surface of the aper, tured sign plate 17 is preferably'paintedfor coated black around the apertures jlforni;V ing the lnumbers or other charactersxvvhichare formed, so as to render more pro ininent the backing material 29 showing through. said apertures. Y, Y

llien the device is to be used `asaV coinbined tail lightsand luminous signor number indicator on automobiles and the like, one end of the apertured sign plate 17l or an end section 17'a thereof may be provided ivith ba red colored transparent plate 11 which is preferably disposed adjacent the aforesaid Vlamp 6 andr attlie Vfront of Vthe housing@ so that' the light rays' projected sideWai-dl'y by said lamp 6 are `also `thro'yvn forwardly from the back-of the housing throughV the colored transparent plate at one end of the illuminatechsign 'The front; 19 of thebhousing 2 is provided Awith an openl il() llt) ing to accon'iniodate the plate 111. .lt-lis' thus' notnecessary to provide 'two lenses for1V automobiles and which require to project the light sidevvardly on to the front of the exposed number plate as Well as at right angles through the coloured glass lens.

The tail light plate Lll, or a red coloured lens lll suitably mounted upon a Jfront Wall i6 around anV opening therein, may, if desired, be disposed in direct alignment with the lamp 6 as seenA in Figure 5 in order that the maximum brightness of the tail light Will be ensured Without detracting from the illumination of the sign plate 17. A reilector 9 may partially surround the lamp 6, the reflector vhaving a gap as at 9a to permit direct illumination of the tail light plate or lens.

According to the modilication illustrated in Figure instead of the lamp casing or holder Il being hingeably mounted to the light box or housing it is adapted to slide into and out of the said housing. `lin such instance the holder l may have side members a which are slidablewithin the guideivays 37 extending along the top and bottom of the'housing 2 While the opposite side member el? of the helder 4 may be a sliding it Within the housing. Suitable means such, for example, as a screw 13 and nut l2 as previously mentioned may be provided to prevent accidental Withdrawal of the lamp holdeil 4 which may be fitted with a suitable handle 4to.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and highly ellicient device Which owing to the concentration of the light rays within the enclosing light box or housing 2 and the uniform and effective distribution of such light through the apertured sign plate 17, greatly increases the visibility of the identilication number or sign by night as Compared With existing arrangements for the illumination of automobile tail lights and the like. In addition, the lamp 6 and other parts are eli'ectively protected from damage, and the device provides a light, durable, and compact construction constituting a unit which may be readily placed on an automobile or in other desired positions, and may be readily converted to suit diillerent uses by merely interchanging the apertured sign plate so as to exhibit the desired sign.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new 'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A sign indicator for use in signs, ineluding a sign plate formed with apertures arranged to simulate characters and a strip of perforated backing material, said sign plate and perforated backing material being each made up of a series of sections, the sections of the sign plate being' each provided at opposite edges with inturned vertical edge portions of hook formation designed to interengage With corresponding edge portions of adjoining sections, the perforated backing material sections being adapted for attachment to the back of the respective sign plate sections and held in position thereon by bending the upper and lower edge portions of the respective sign plate sections rearwardly against the corresponding' sections oit the perforated backing material.

In testimony Whereoltl I allix my signature.

s. J. cantv. 

